PANAMA: A Historic No

Panama's decision to call a meeting of the
United Nations Security Council in Panama City was primarily intended
to embarrass the U.S. for maintaining control of the Panama Canaland
it succeeded. On opening day, the delegates arriving at Panama's
Legislative Palace faced a three-story billboard that declared in the
five official U.N. languages: "You may rest assured that in our
negotiations with the U.S. you will always find us standing on our feet
and never on our knees. Never! Torrijos."

In a 20-minute speech delivered at the first session, Panama's "Leader
of the Revolution," Brigadier General Omar Torrijos, assailed the...